The Port-A-Pad

The Port-A-Pad SPRAYING Accessories 15-4-36 New portable drive-over "pads" offered by Mountain Hi-Tech, Walla Walla, Wash., let you catch spilled chemicals, fuel, liquid fertilizer, etc., and pump them back into the original container or a nearby holding tank. "Port-A-Pad" consists of a chemically resistant polyethylene liner surrounded by four 1-ft. wide inflated walls. The walls can be filled with either air or water from 6 to 12 in. high. Spilled material drains toward the middle whereit collects in a sump hole. "It's an economical way to keep chemicals from contaminating groundwater," says Don Parker, owner. "It's good insurance in case a hose breaks or you have any other kind of accidental spillage. The thick, heavy-duty liner is built to withstand 6,000 psi so it's almost tear-proof. A two-way valve lets you partially fill the walls with water to hold the pad down in windy weather or you can use tie-down flaps to secure it to the ground. We offer the Port-A-Pad in 14 different sizes ranging from 7 by 3 ft. to 50 by 17 ft. to fit tractor-towed, truck-mounted, or self-propelled sprayers. Spill-holding capacity ranges from 155 to 6,000 gallons. It's light enough when empty that you can fold it up and store it in your pickup bed for transport. It also makes a handy portable water reservoir for rural fire departments." A 7 by 3 ft. Port-A-Pad sells for $650 and a 50 by 17 ft. model sells for $3,990. The company also offers a permanent "spill restrainer" container designed for above-ground fuel tanks and large chemical and fertilizer storage tanks. It consists of a liner enclosed by four concrete walls, with a sump in the middle. "Recent changes in EPA regulations require owners of under-ground fuel storage tanks to have them tested for leaks," says Parker, so some farmers are installing above-ground tanks. Our concrete wall and liner costs only about half as much as solid concrete spill pads and it can't crack or leak." Also available is a portable 3-ft. high square steel tank and liner that contains 2,500 gal. Sells for less than $2,000. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Don Parker, Mountain Hi-Tech Tanks & Liners, Rt. 4, Box 185-C, City County Airport, Walla Walla, Wash. 99362 (ph 509 529-3578).

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